How to tell a story well

We all tell stories of one kind or another all the time. And even storytellers don't craft their response to a casual, "How was your day?"

Still, if you're looking to tell a story that you hope will have impact on its audience, whether it's your child, your parents, your workmates or an audience of strangers gathered in a bar to hear stories, the lessons of the Moth include these:

? A story is not just a series of events. In Moth-speak, this is called an "and-then story," e.g. "And then I did this ... And then I did that ... And then ... And then ... And then." Include some reflection among the events. How did you feel? What were you thinking as this was happening? Give your listeners a taste of your inner as well as outer responses, especially if those two were in conflict. Inner conflict is the fuel of many a good story.

? A story renders something important. This is usually a moment of realization, a shift from passive to active or the process of letting go of a long-held fear or belief. If you're the same at the end of the story as you were at the beginning, it's not going to be as compelling as a story in which you experienced some kind of internal change in perspective.

? A story is finite. A good storyteller doesn't cram every thought, joke or detail into a single story. It's better if you just try to tell one story at a time and include just enough detail so the audience can picture the scene, but otherwise keep it as brief as you can. The Moth is very specific about its parameters - 5 minutes at StorySLAMs and 10 tellers, no matter how many show up. Senior producer Jenifer Hixson said going longer "begins to deflate the evening at some point. No matter how great the story might be, when people (in the audience) are spent, they are spent."

- Graham Shelby

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How to tell a story well

We all tell stories of one kind or another all the time. And even storytellers don't craft their response to a casual, 'How was your day?'